Digests or compendiums condense or abbreviate data, yielding more efficient reports and descriptions of the data when compared to the “raw” data. For example, a “daily digest” email can take all the emails sent to a listserv or an email address over a 24 hour period and compile them into a single email summarizing the previous 24 hours of listserv/email account activity. Similarly, reports of manufacturing activity can be automated to report the production of specific widgets within a specific time period. Yet another example of a digest are the plot summaries provided at the beginning of television shows, where brief summaries of previous episodes explain continuing plot lines from previous episodes to remind and inform current viewers, making for an improved viewing experience.
When storing data, servers and databases can record every interaction of a user or users with the database, or every file operation executed on behalf of the user. Database managers or other users can then search through these interactions for specific events, such as when a user added or modified a specific file. However, because these lists of interactions can grow to significant size, users parsing through the data are challenged to understand patterns when looking at individual interactions. Where multiple users can be granted access to a database, server, or cloud-based storage space, this storage area can be referred to as a “shared dataspace.”